The Curve Expo was this past weekend, but I’ve been just ridiculously busy all week and am in no position to organize all my photos and my thoughts just yet. Please check back next Friday for the first of at least two, if not three, posts about what I saw and enjoyed at Curve.
In the meantime, here’s a quick review of a tee shirt from big bust retailer DD Atelier:
At the end of each season, DD lists whatever is left over from the season at sale prices. Sizes are, of course, limited, and most of the time the items I like are already sold out in my size. But I happened to look at the sale section the same day I decided I wanted a striped tee shirt to wear with a particular skirt, and lo and behold DD had one in my size!
DD Atelier uses three bust sizes labeled D, F, and G, and waist sizes 65, 70, 75, 80, 85. My measurements of 37” bust and 29” waist falls into size 80D, though I did try a dress several years ago in 75F and it fit fine in the waist. Since this tee shirt is stretchy and I wanted it to fit more tightly, I went with 75 D/F (stretch knits have only two bust sizes of D/F and F/G).
The tee shirt is basic, but has a couple nice details. For one thing, it has darts on the sides to contour to your bust without warping or stretching excessively across the chest.
Next, the neckline is slightly wider and deeper than a conventional crew-neck tee, helping balance a big bust. You’ll also notice that the trim at the neck is sewn so that the stripes go diagonal, a nice touch.
And third, the back is two pieces with a seam down the center, again aiding in contouring to your curves. I love that the back is sewn so the stripes are diagonal, and that the stripe colors line up perfectly.
Note that the color is supposed to be navy blue, but it looks very dark in real life, almost black. And the white is more of an off-white or ivory in real life. I like both these aspects, as it appears to be basic black-and-white, but actually has a softer feel to it.
Finally, the fabric is 92% viscose and 8% lycra, so it bounces back into shape better than the cotton/spandex blend tee shirts that are more common.
It’s been a long time since I tried a DD Atelier piece, and I’m really impressed with the quality—especially for such a basic piece!
Oh, and if you’re admiring my watermelon skirt, it’s Unique-Vintage.com’s house brand. It definitely fits true to the size chart. I ordered a large, which is supposed to fit a 30” waist. Medium is listed for a 28” waist. So at my 29” waist, the large is a bit loose. But I’m sure size medium would have been too tight considering there’s no stretch. If you’re between sizes, I’d definitely suggest sizing up. There’s even a button at the top of the zipper, so you can always move it over if you really want to decrease the waist a little.
Great pick, Leah! I have this tee in red & white stripe and like it a lot!
Being a bit geeky about details, I think they nicely elevated this piece with the chevron down the center back and the careful pattern matching.